Back Here
by Tenko
Summary: Tenchi wakes up early one morning and notices that something's amiss. How will everyone deal with this? (Ryoko/Tenchi song-fic.)


Author: Tenko  

Disclaimer: Oh darn...you caught me! Yes, I own Tenchi Muyo! and the song Back Here...in my dreams! :) But a girl can dream right?  Okay, honestly (but don't let this leak out), I don't own Tenchi Muyo! (awww), the boys of BBMak (DAMN!), or their song Back Here (*frowns*)! =\ Oh, and Tenchi Masaki did not write the song Back Here…but wouldn't have been cool?

**Back Here**

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**_Until you're back here baby..._**

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_A month ago..._

****Tenchi Masaki unconsciously took a step a back with his eyes wide as he found the note.  As the light purple paper slipped from his hands a disbelieving tear slipped from his eye.  How was he supposed to tell everyone?  Had she already gone?  The sound of his alarm clock ringing brought him back to reality.  He blinked in response and closed his once gaping mouth.  

            'What should I do?' he thought in a panic.  After a few moments of racing thoughts and staring off into space, he grabbed the note off of the floor and ran to his door.  He slid it open and plowed into the little red headed genius, Washu.  Obviously they both fell backwards onto the carpeted floor.

            "Ow! Hey!  Watch it, Tenchi!"  Little Washu chided.  

            "Sorry, Little Washu," Tenchi muttered picking himself up off of the floor.

By then, Washu was already standing with the note in hand.  She glanced down at it already knowing what it contained.  She looked up at him remorsefully.

            "She's already gone, Tenchi…She's already gone."   Tenchi couldn't believe it!

He tried several times to speak, but in the end he was only able to utter out, "No."

**_Baby set me free from this misery   
I can't take it no more_**

The present… 

            Nothing had been the same since the day Tenchi woke up early to find the note from Ryoko.  Today marked a full month since Ryoko had taken Ryo-Ohki and left with no spoken words to anyone.   Everyone, even Ayeka,  were brought to tears that day when the five women in the Masaki home became four. 

            "I can't believe she just left like that…" Ayeka had said.

            "We have to go after them!  It's not fair!"  Sasami had cried into her sister's kimono.  

Tenchi sat up on the roof that night thinking of all that had been said on that day a month ago.  It had been one of Ryoko's favorite places to think and now, he oft times came there.  He reached into his pocket and pulled out the note.  

_Tenchi,_

_           Look, I can't take this anymore.  This waiting!  This game!  I just can't…Ryo-Ohki and I are leaving now.  We're going back to the stars, to space where we belong!  You said it yourself Tenchi, I'm not your favorite alien.  So just leave me alone, and don't even think about following me!  I don't know why you would though…you couldn't even trust me enough to give me back my gems.  I've just had enough, Tenchi…I've just had enough…_

_                                                                                 Love,_

_                                                                                       Ryoko_

_P.S.  Now that I'm gone, you can have that sniveling princess once and for all!_

            After the whole household had read the note everyone was deeply saddened.   Sasami didn't cook as happily as she did before, and she was often bored because she couldn't play with Ryo-Ohki.  Mihoshi's bubbly energy seemed to dim a little now that the space pirate and cabbit were gone.  Lord Katsuhito and Nobuyuki got along pretty well but neither could look at the empty spot that Ryoko used to fill at the dinner table.  Ayeka missed the fights she had with her friend, yes friend.  She had even waited a few weeks before she even dared to subtly flirt with Tenchi the way she always did.  Washu…well Washu was a wreck.  She stayed in her lab more than she used to, only eating once a day.  She hid her emotions well, but it was apparent that she missed her daughter very much.

            Tenchi…he was taking this whole ordeal the hardest.  He was still warm and kind to the other girls, but he was more secluded and cut off from everyone nowadays.  He'd get his chores done, eat a quiet meal, and then he'd disappear.  None of the girls knew, but Tenchi had chosen long ago.  If only he wasn't so afraid to hurt the others.  If only he had told them that…he had chosen Ryoko.

  
**_Since you went away nothing's been the same   
Don't know what I'm living for_**

Planet Visa… 

'What do you mean we're out of cash?!'  Ryoko yelled at Ryo-Ohki mentally. 

'Yeah, remember…Contra 4; you were mugged!'  Ryo-Ohki called back.

"Damn!  If only I would have caught that punk!"  Ryoko exclaimed, her fists clenched.

She received several strange looks from the people around her, who were already scared stiff from her being there in the first place.   Ryoko was at a small restaurant on the eastern coastline of planet Visa.  It was true, she didn't have a sense of taste, nor needed to eat at all, but Ryo-Ohki made up for it with her own hunger and sense of taste.

Ryoko sighed--this just wasn't her day.  She sat on one of the outside tables, her chin being supported by her hand.  A lovely breeze made Ryoko's hair sway as she started to think and soon daydream.  She missed them… All of them...even that whiny princess Ayeka, but especially Tenchi.  

Suddenly, an idea occurred to her.

'I'll rob a bank!' she thought.  She'd get her money AND go back to her old ways.  It would be fun…wouldn't it?  

'Okay Ryo-Ohki, I'll be right back.  I'm going to go get us some money by robbing the First Visa Bank.  It'll be like old times…'  Ryo-Ohki meowed her sad disapproval, but made no effort to stop her.

She watched Ryoko stand and phase away, leaving her sitting on the table at the restaurant.

'This should be SO easy!  There's practically no security!'  She thought while holding her hand up to blow an energy blast at the wall.  Soon, she charged the blast and let it fly.  Unfortunately for her, Tenchi's face popped into her mind, and she diverted the blast into the sky.  It quickly dissolved and disappeared completely from existence.

"Damn it..."  Ryoko cursed, knowing that Tenchi would plague her ways forever.  He was her Achilles heal.  'I couldn't do it Ryo-Ohki…can we just get out of here?'

'Awww, but I want some carrots! Oh fine!' Ryo-Ohki pouted as Ryoko appeared in front of her.  

As soon as they were out into space and were heading in no particular direction, Ryoko said, "I know I sound silly…but I'm lonely Ryo-Ohki…"  
  


**_Here I am so alone   
And there's nothing in this world I can do_**  
  
            It was spring now, the cherry blossoms were in full bloom, and it was a lovely day to have a picnic.  So that's what Sasami decided to do.  She packed up a big picnic basket and called everyone in for lunch.  Ayeka fetched Tenchi from his chores and alerted him that Sasami had a surprise for them all.

            "A picnic?"  Washu asked incredulously, a little bit annoyed that this was the reason for her work being interrupted. 

            "Yeah! It's such a beautiful day and we all need to cheer up!  Washu, when was the last time you were outside?"  At Washu's silence, Sasami gave them a look that plainly said 'See!'

            Everyone headed out to eat by the lake that had been created during the battle between Ryoko and Yosho.  As they were about to sit down, Tenchi caught sight of a certain sakura.  It had been Ryoko's favorite one...the one where she'd often fall asleep.  

"I'm sorry Sasami, there's something I need to do really quickly!" Tenchi said while getting up.

"Awww…well alright, just hurry up!"  Sasami sigh out.

Ayeka stared after Tenchi, but soon turned back to her food.  

The sakura was just out of view from the others (Tenchi only saw it because he was at a certain angle) which was good for Tenchi, he wanted to be alone right now.  He started to think of Ryoko…how she made him feel, how every time she latched onto him he wanted to pull her around and kiss her, how beautiful she was no matter what the situation…

            He leaned against the tree.  "Kami, I miss her…"

  
**_Until you're back here baby   
Miss you want you need you so   
Until you're back here baby yeah   
There's a feeling inside I want you to know   
You are the one and I can't let you go_**

Onboard Ryo-Ohki… 

"We're coming up on Earth, Ryoko!" Ryo-Ohki meowed happily informing her master of their status.  

Ryoko smiled warmly.  "I should have known I couldn't have stayed away forever.  Oh, please say he didn't choose Ayeka while I was gone." 

Ryo-Ohki began her descent upon the Earth, coming down easily through its atmosphere.  

"Ryo-Ohki, show me where everyone is," she commanded.

With a meow, a view screen popped up showing everyone except Tenchi, Katsuhito, and Nobuyuki out having a picnic.  The screen split in half showing Katsuhito in the shrine office, then into four parts that showed Nobuyuki at work and finally Tenchi leaning against her favorite sakura tree, looking very troubled. 

"Land near the mountains, Ryo-Ohki!"

At the house… 

Ryoko had Ryo-Ohki change into her cabbit form on the other side of the mountain so no one would see them.  She had also teleported them back to the house.

Ryoko smiled, nothing had changed at all…in fact her pillow was still on her rafter.  Then, an idea popped into her head;  she was going to tell Tenchi exactly how she felt, AND she was going to stop drinking.  Being away from her loved one for so long only made her want to be with him even more.  She was going to do this…for him.  Besides, the only reason she drank was to drown out the pain that Kagato had caused her…but he was dead now.  And it was time she realized that. 

 Ryoko told Ryo-Ohki to stay in the kitchen for a minute while she got her some carrots.  Pretty soon she came back with a small basket of the orange vegetables for her furry little friend.  Ryoko decided to familiarize herself with the house again, and the first place she teleported was Tenchi's room.  It had changed…not much but it had changed.  What had changed was that Tenchi had a small wooden box on the floor.  There was a key in keyhole and…Ryoko being Ryoko, her curiosity got the best of her.  She phased in front of it and kneeled down to pick up the box.  

Looking at it like it was some strange foreign object she shook it lightly.  Something inside rattled.  

"Hmmm…"  Ryoko placed the box next to her on Tenchi's bed and opened it.   She peered inside only to find a piece of folded up paper, a picture of all of the girls and Tenchi,  another folded up piece of paper (except this one was light purple), and a cassette tape.  Ryoko blinked and cocked her head to the side, what was all of this stuff?  

She picked up the lavender piece of paper and unfolded it.  She gasped at what she saw; it was her note!  After a little inspection she noticed that some of the ink was smeared on the paper in one spot.  It was the size that a single tear would make if it hit paper.  Realization hit her…someone, presumably Tenchi, had shed a tear for her.  At that news…she couldn't help but smile.

Her attention then went back to the other things in the box.  She folded her note back up and took out the other folded piece of paper after staring at the picture of her and the rest of the family.  

'What on Earth…?' Ryoko thought as she looked down at the now unfolded paper.  The words looked like they were scribbled down very quickly.  She didn't know what it was supposed to be so she folded the paper up and took out the cassette tape.  After flipping it around a couple of times, she shook it.  

"What do you do with this thi…Oooh! That's right, I saw Tenchi using one of these things before!"  She said as it dawned on her.  She floated around Tenchi's room trying to find his radio.

After a little bit of searching, she found the small black device.  Ryoko opened the tape player, and after a quick trial and error session she got it all figured out.  Following the pressing of the play button, she floated in front of the radio with her legs crossed.  

Some music played and then a familiar voice flowed sweetly through the speakers…  
  
**_So I told you lies even made you cry   
Baby I was so wrong   
Girl I promise you now my love is true   
This is where my heart belongs   
'Cause here I am so alone   
And there's nothing in this world I can do   
  
Until you're back here baby   
Miss you want you need you so   
Until you're back here baby yeah   
There's a feeling inside I want you to know   
You are the one and I can't let you go  
  
And I wonder, are you thinking of me   
'Cause I'm thinking of you   
And I wonder   
Are you ever coming back in my life?   
'Cause here I am so alone   
And there's nothing in this world I can do…_**

Ryoko stopped the tape.  That…that was Tenchi's voice!  She rushed over to the bed and unfolded the second piece of paper.  She now realized that it contained song lyrics!  The beautiful demoness scanned over the paper until she found what her heart had been hoping for. 

The paper read: '"Back Here"  By: Tenchi Masaki for Ryoko'.

Ryoko's eyes welled up with tears, and her heart soared.  She didn't even know that she was blushing like mad.  That, or didn't care.  'Ten-Tenchi…wanted me to come back…he…he loves me?  Cou-could it be?'  

She phased into the kitchen after putting the box and its contents away.   

"Come on Ryo-Ohki…let's go see Tenchi," she said softly.

Since Ryoko knew where Tenchi was bound to be, she teleported herself and Ryo-Ohki behind another tree near her favorite sakura.  The ex-pirate put her index finger to her lips, indicating silence.  Ryo-Ohki nodded her tiny head and watched as her friend teleported into the tree.  Ryoko would have giggled if she didn't need to be silent.  Tenchi didn't even notice her!  She sat on a branch above Tenchi thinking about how to announce her presence.

"Nice weather we're having," Ryoko said casually while looking at the trees in front of her.

Tenchi nearly jumped a mile at the sound of her voice. 

He spun around to face her. "Ryo-Ryoko?"

"Well, it sure ain't the Princess of Jurai!" Ryoko said impishly.  

"Y-you came back!" Tenchi exclaimed.

He looked as if he were going to cry, or laugh…it was hard to tell.  Suddenly Ryoko became serious.

"**_And I wonder, are you thinking of me/'Cause I'm thinking of you…_**" Ryoko sang two lines of the song she had heard in Tenchi's room.

Tenchi's eyes widened in recognition.

"Well?"  Ryoko asked in a somber tone.

She resisted the urge to spring from the branch and hug him.  No, she wasn't going to do that…after all Tenchi had put her through…all of the indecisiveness!  Besides, she had to know for sure that Tenchi did love her and only her in _that_ way.

"Ryoko…I-I…" Tenchi stammered.

Why was this just so damn hard?

"You wrote that song for me.  I saw.  Did you mean it?"  Ryoko asked.

Tenchi took a deep breath…he'd lost her once, it wasn't going to happen again.  It was now or never.  "I meant every word of that song, Ryoko. Every word."

Tears brimmed her eyelids again, threatening to spill, and she was blushing something fierce.  'Tenchi…he really does love me...'

"Tenchiiiiiiii!" she couldn't resist any longer.

She sprung from the tree, somersaulting through the air, and landed before Tenchi bringing him into a light hug, for once.

"Tenchi, I-I have so much t-to tell you…about my past, and where I was for those never ending days.  I don't want to be...this way anymore!  I want to show people what I feel…I—" Ryoko, who was now sobbing from joy and her confession, was silenced by Tenchi.

Ryoko composed herself and looked into Tenchi eyes, praying they'd say what she couldn't.

By this time, Ryo-Ohki had disobeyed Ryoko and had gone to see the others.   All were overjoyed to see Ryo-Ohki and immediately remembered; where there's Ryo-Ohki, there's bound to be Ryoko!  All of them followed Ryo-Ohki who was heading over to the sakura.  They all froze when they saw Tenchi and Ryoko hugging.

Washu, being the genius she is, summoned her notorious shadow laptop and a small device popped out through a subspace portal.  This little device projected Ryoko and Tenchi's voices so they could all hear their conversation.

"I am such a genius!" She proclaimed and laughed her half psychotic, half devious laugh.

"Tenchi…while I was gone I realized that…I couldn't stay away."

"Ryoko…" she silenced him with a wave of her hand.

"You…you were just…everyone was…" Ryoko sighed, "This was the only family I've ever known…and I couldn't stay away."

"I see…"

"And besides, with Ryo-Ohki complaining about the lack of carrots and Sasami, I was going insane!" Ryoko gave a half hearted laugh.  Tenchi just smiled.  "Tenchi…after all of this you had chosen a long time ago…you just never told anyone, right?  Well, after all that you've put me through—along with your ancestors—I…need you to kiss me, Tenchi," she said softly.  

"WHAT?!" Ayeka began to shriek, but Washu and Sasami clamped their hands over her mouth.  

"Shhhh, Ayeka!" Sasami reprimanded.

Ayeka was furious and tears where forming in her eyes in fear of what may happen.  If it wasn't for the three girls holding her back she would have been over there in a flash.

"...Ryo--" Tenchi started, but was interrupted.

"Tenchi, if you really did choose me, prove it!"  Ryoko commanded with tears threatening to again spill down her cheeks.  

A pang of fear struck her heart as Tenchi looked down.   She turned to leave, but Tenchi's hand caught her cheek and turned her towards him.  He looked into her sparkling amber eyes for a moment that seemed to last forever.  With that, he leaned in and gave her a tender kiss...that was interrupted by the other girls...

Ayeka felt her heart sink...Tenchi...had chosen that monster woman...over her...the princess of Jurai!  Tears filled her eyes and she turned her back away from the 'horrific' sight.  

"Yey! Tenchi and Ryoko!" Sasami cheered as she ran up to them.

"Well, well, well, you finally chose, huh Tench?" Washu said more a statement than a question.

"Does that mean that Tenchi chose Ryoko?" Mihoshi asked.  They all sweatdropped, minus Mihoshi.  Tenchi and Ryoko were now standing next to each other, holding hands.  "Well? Does it? Huh, huh?" Mihoshi pressed, honestly confused.

Tenchi smiled and looked over at his love. "Yeah Mihoshi, it does."

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Author Notes: Well, that was lovely...riiight.  That was my first attempt at a songfic.  Now I can say I've done it. o.O It's too bad that I can't write romance fics though!  Errr, oh well.  Ja!  

Ugh!  I had to repost this after I inadvertently deleted it!  :|  Show me you care and give lotsa reviews! :P  Cursed freaking fanfiction.net doesn't want to show all of my indention...so, it's not my fault! :x


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